Tension for grain-binders



(No Mofiel.)

C. GOLAHAN.

TENSION PON GRAIN BINDBNS.

Pateted J an. 10, 1882.

WITNESSES IN VENTOR u B1 /Mla fiori/@Nys i I @Mya N. Pneus Phumunwgnpw, washing n. c

y UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE,

oHAaLEs ooLAHAn, on oLEvnnAnD, onto.

TENSION FOR GRAIN-BINDERS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of `Letters Patent No. 252,018, dated January 10,1882.

Application tiled July 11, 1881. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that l, CnAELEs OoLAHAn, of

Y Cleveland, Vin the county of Cuyahoga and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Tensions for Grain- Binders and other Machines, of which the following is a specification.

In the practical use of cord-hinders a difli cnlty is `found in the tendency of the cord to kink or' double up at a point between the spool or ball and the eye of the needle'or cord-carrying arm, owing to a change or modification ofthe twist in the cord induced by the action of the mechanism or the mode in which the cord is drawn from its source of supply. With the usual form of tension devices this kink is further complicated either by the nnraveling of the cord when its turned against its twist or by the presence of linty or fuzzy matter scraped oft' by the tensionja'ws.

My invention has for its object` to obvinte these defects by the employment of means which act to retain the twist in its normal condition or to restore it thereto in opposition to said tendency, and also to provide a better, more facile, and convenienttension device; and it consists in the employment of a cylindrical rod or spindle, about which the cord is wound, provided with means for adjusting the pitch of the coils of said cord prearran ged thereupon .to determine the friction with which it is pulled therefrom 5 in combining with a cylindrical rod or spindle, about which the cord is wound as it is led from the `spool to the binding-arm, means whereby it may be adjusted radially upon its support to produce a deflection or angle of greater or less extent in the line of the cord as it is drawn, or to adapt itselt1 to the position of the cord box or spool, and means independent of the first whereby it may be adjusted bodily as to its distance from the source of cordsupply5 in the mode of preserving the twist in the cord, consisting in laying its coils upon the spindle in the same direction in which its strands are twisted; and in various combinations and details of construction hereinafter pointed out and claimed.

In the drawings, Figure l is a side elevation of my improved `tension devicerand its sup- 5o porting-frame. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section through the outer end of the spindle, and

Fig. 3 is a transverse section through said spindle on the line .c x of Fig. l. y

A is a standard or support attached to any suitable part of the harvester-frame.` At the head of this standard is pivoted an arm, B, in such manner that it may be swung horizontally or radially, andbe secured in any given position in its orbit by means of a clampingscrew, b, or other lockingdevice. end of this arm is bent to form a pivotal support for one end of the tension bar or spindle C, which is also locked in any given adjustment in its radial orbit by means ot' a clamping-screw, c, orequivalent, independently ofthe above-described adjustment of its support.

At the inner end ofthe spindle, upon its periphery, is an eye, d, which may be liXed or adjustable. In the present instance l have shown it as a curvedtnger projecting from a sleeve, e, adjustable along the spindle, and

have provided this sleeve with a clamping-l screw,f, whereby it may be fixed in position.

The outer end of the spindle is made tubular to receive a thumbsorew, g, which is held against longitudinal movement by a cap, h, or other suitable means7 and which takes into a nut or traveler within said tubular portion. Mounted upon the spindle at this end is also a sleeve, 7c, similar `to the one first-described,

and, like it, carrying an eye or eye-forming tinger, l, closing` against the periphery of the spindle. This sleeve is xed to the block or traveler within the tubular portion by means of a pin or neck passing through a longitudinal slot, m, in the wall thereof, so that as the traveler is moved back or forth by the rotation ofthe screw the sleeve and eye will partake of its motion and be adjusted within the limits determined bythe length of the slot, thus bein g brought nearer to or moved farther away from the opposing eye. The cord from the spool is led first through the eye d, then given a number of turns around the spindle, less or more, according to the amount of tension desired, and finally passes out through the eye lto the binding-arm or needle. The tension may now be nicely adjusted by means of the screw and movable sleeve, either by shortening the distance between the eyes, which will lessen the pitch of the coils and increase their friction upon the spindle, or by lengthen- The outer 6o ing said distance, which will have the opposite effect and reduce the t'iiction and consequent tension. The tension may also be modified by the adjustment of the spindle radially, causinge,` a bend or angle in the general trend ofthe cord, or by adjusting the su pporting-arm B, or by a resultant adjustn'ient ot' these two; 0r these latter adjustments may be used to brin g the cord into proper line for the bindingarm to take it.

In order to prevent kicking, l so wind the cord upon the spindle that the action of the latter as itis drawn ihereover has a tendency to preserve or restore the twist-that is, if the tendency to kink is between the spindle and the spool and the cord has a right-hand twist, I Wind it upon the spindle in right-hand coils; but if the tendency is between the spindle and the gavel it should under like condition be. wound in left-hand coils. With this construction no lint is raised upon the cord, and the tension obtained is very smooth and even and well under control.

It is not necessary that the spindle should have a perfectly cylindrical surface, as good results may be obtained with a spindle oblong or elliptical in cross-section. It should, however, be free from edges or an gies which can catch and scrape the cord.

I claim as my inventionl. In a tension-device, the combination of aspindle about which the thread or cord is Wound and means for adjusting the pitch of the coils of said cord prearranged thereupon t0 determine the friction with which itis pulled therefrom.

2. In a tension device, the combination of a rod orvspindle about which the cord is Wound, means whereby said spindle may be adjusted radially upon its support, and means independent of the first whereby it may be adjusted bodily as to its distance from the source ot' cord-supply, substantially as and for the purpose described.v

3. In a tension device, a spindle about which the cord is wound, eyes at each end ofthe spindie, between which the coils are confined, and means for adj usting,` one of said eyes longitudinally ofthe spindle to increase or diminish the pitch ot said coils.

4. The combination ot' thespindle (l, the eyes d and l thereon, the sleeve lc, and the adjusting-screw g, whereby the latter eye maybe moved longitudinally of the sleeve.

5. rlhe combination ot' the tension-s}')indle O, its pivotal support B, and the clampingscrew o, substantially as described.

'6. The combination of the tension-spindle G,- its pivotal support B, and clamping-screw c, the standard A, to which the latter support is pivoted, and the clamping-screw b, whereby theireonnection is rendered fast.

7. The mode of preventing` kinking or nnraveling ot' the cord in its passage from the spool to the binder-arm, consisting in winding it about a tension-spindle in a direction having the described relation to the direction of its twist.

UHAS. COLAHAN.

Witnesses:

JANEs HAYES, JOHN UOLAHAN. 

